For decades this enormous, triangular Whitehall building toiled away as a government institution, until it reopened in 2011 as a hotel... and remembered how to enjoy itself! Today, The Corinthia is a glorious riot of luxury and opulence in the most sophisticated of ways: ceilings that go up and up, a slow sweep of staircase, light catching gilt and glass, and always, a vast bouquet of fresh blooms in the centre of the lobby. Location-wise, you're on the the corner where Whitehall runs down to the Thames, and Westminster, Trafalgar Square and the South Bank are all only a short walk away. It does drama and class brilliantly, yet somehow never takes itself too seriously – and the afternoon tea is definitely worth skipping lunch for.
The Corinthia announces itself with a chandelier the size of a small car, a thousand-odd crystals scattering light across the aptly-named Crystal Moon Lounge. Beneath it, afternoon tea unfolds in a slow, civilised ritual that warrants dressing up for. In the evening you're spoilt for choice: in one hand, the bold, unfussy British cooking that made Tom Kerridge's name, and in the other, a kitchen channelling the sunlit flavours of Calabria. If London wasn't waiting for you outside, you could happily settle in for days.
The 279 rooms (including 55 suites) are large by London standards and the styling calm and contemporary – think clean lines and a soft neutral colour palette. Sleep comes easily in the vast beds, and mornings are for coffee at the window, watching the bustle of Whitehall below. The bathrooms, all cool marble, have beautiful rainfall showers and some large bathtubs too. As you might expect, the penthouses are a world apart, with the grandest climbing two floors to a terrace that looks straight down to the London Eye.
You'll find the Thames just across the road and a riverside walk will take you past Westminster and the Houses of Parliament, or over a bridge to the South Bank's galleries and concert halls. Trafalgar Square and the National Gallery are both five minutes or so away, and Covent Garden and the theatre lights are just beyond. When you've walked your fill, board a boat at Embankment and watch London unspool from the water in a completely different view of the iconic city.
Westminster and the West End are all close enough to walk, allowing you to be less beholden to the Tube or a taxi (always a win).
Velvet, the hotel's bar, is famous for its vintage spirits. Take a seat and let them pour you something older than the room you're sitting in.
This is a large hotel and doesn't pretend otherwise, with public rooms that hum all day long and the ebb and flow of a building that plays host to the world.
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With a borough for every possible mood and sightseeing for days, London has genuinely never been better.
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